Knowledge of agro input dealers about certificate course on pesticide management

Agro input dealers serves as an important link between the manufactures and the farmers and he has the responsibility to disseminate latest farm technology up to the field level. So, knowledge about pesticides is crucial for the agro input dealers. The farmers have more trust on the agro input dealers as they are more localize. There is a high need that proper recommendations should be communicated for sustainable usage of inputs and for proper understanding by the farmers about the product and process. The present study was conducted across the districts of Junagadh, Rajkot, Porbandar and Amreli in the Gujarat state. Data was collected from 160 agro input dealers who had completed a certificate course on pesticide management. Both purposive and random sampling techniques were employed. The study results revealed that just under three-fifths (58.13 per cent) of the agro input dealers possessed a moderate level of knowledge regarding the certificate course on pesticide management. Several profile characteristics including education, social participation, experience as a dealer, information sources, exposure to mass media, received training, extension contacts, economic motivation, management orientation, innovativeness, achievement motivation, and scientific orientation, exhibited positive and significant associations with knowledge about the certificate course on pesticide management. Conversely, age showed a negative and significant correlation with knowledge about the certificate course on pesticide management.